The Difference Between Us
by LightMidnight
Summary: Humanity can't afford to let the Titans slay over them any longer. Even with Eren in Titan form at their beck-and-call, will it be enough to save them? Maybe, but when a suspicious girl with unknown abilities arrives in the Scouting Legion, she may just be the weapon they were hoping to receive. There's just one thing; a certain Corporal has interest in her. LevixOC. *ON HIATUS*
1. Disaster

**A/N: So before beginning, I just want to make a few clarifications ;3 This is my first ever SnK fanfiction, and I nearly just finished the anime and am starting to read the manga. I sincerely apologize if my knowledge base isn't as advanced as it should be, relating to the Recon Corps, and their tools and whatnot. I will try my best to be as explanatory as possible.**

**With that being said, I'm also going to ignore the fact that I'll probably get Levi's age wrong throughout the story. I have read many things that say he's between 25-34 years of age, but it would do better if I labeled him as younger, considering my OC is going to be 20 when she finishes her three years serving the 104****th**** trainee's squad, as Eren will still be 15 as he is in the anime.**

**Which brings me to tell you, that I am also following the anime, then continuing off the manga. (: Thanks, and if there is any questions that anyone would like to ask, feel free to PM me. Hope I haven't confused things, enjoy.**

_OC appearances:_

_Sousa Conners;_

_Hair color/type: Blonde (waist length, usually kept in a ponytail or braid)_

_Eye color: Amethyst (with hints of blue)_

_Age: 20 years (15 in the beginning)_

_Body type: Petit but strong, feminine muscularity. Often refers to herself as a bit too chubby for her liking, but is really not._

_Height: 5'2_

_Weight: 120 pounds (or 54 kg)_

_Skill: Beyond advanced with the 3DMG and blades. Prefers to make her own weapons and use them in battle instead._

_Other: Has two-holed piercings in each ear, refuses to take them out because they have been in since birth. Two are purple, and two are gold, set to match her eye color and birthstone color. _

_Birthday is February 11__th__, and her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Sousa says she dislikes her birthday because it is too close to Valentine 's Day, and nearly half the boys in her village, and even some men, try to woo her on that day because of her exotic features._

_Great with animals, but has a slight fear of horses due to being thrown off one when she was younger._

_Admires the Recon Corps and Stationary Guard, but hates the Military Police and refuses to ever become one of them due to their unjust freedom from the Titans._

_Personality: Sousa is an intelligent, sweet and funny girl who cares deeply for the people around her. She isn't afraid to snap if someone pushes too far, but knows her place in a moment of importance. Her sharp tongue does come forth on some occasions. Her hatred for Titans is palpable, and erases any fear that she has when facing them head-on. She gets easily embarrassed when people point out how bad her sense of direction is, or how forgetful she tends to be. Despite this, she is deeply trusted by citizens and comrades alike. Her brother Rico is one of the sole-purposes that she joins the Recon Corps._

_Rico Conners;_

_Hair color: Black_

_Eye color: Light Brown _

_Age: 22 years (17 in the beginning)_

_Body type: Muscular, fit. Was seen as scrawny in his earlier years, but became thicker with growing height._

_Height: 5'10 _

_Weight: 155 pounds (or 70.5 kg)_

_Skill: Uses 3DMG and blades quite well, but prefers the sharp-studded sword his sister made for him._

_Other: Like his sister, he has his ears pierced but only with one hole on each side. They green and silver, also the color of his birthstone and zodiac which is Taurus. _

_His birthday is May 3__rd__._

_Much like his sister, he adores the Recon Corps, but prefers to be a Stationary Guard because of minimal threats. He wants Sousa to join the Military Police more than anything to assure her safety._

_Personality: Rico is someone who, despite his kindness, is a very over-protective person, especially when it comes to his sister and his family. He rarely shows anger unless something dear to him is harmed. Unlike Sousa, he is quite afraid of Titans. For her sake, he opts to join the Recon Corps, but refuses to forget the fear he feels against the man-eating beasts. Overall, he is a strong young man and would make a great leader. He refuses to leave Sousa's side no matter what the cost, because he feels that he has a liability to protect her._

Shiganshina was in chaos.

Crowds of civilians began to ponder recklessly to the boats that were currently departing behind the safety of Wall Rose, desperately trying to save themselves from being Titan food.

But not me.

I stood there, watching in silent horror as humanity's enemy and predator had its teeth clenched around someone dearly important to me, one who I loved with all my heart.

My mother.

Her screams were enough to send me to my knees, and I could only watch as she was being devoured before my very eyes. I wanted to help her; I wanted to kill the damn thing so that she would be safe and out of harm's way. But what could I do? I was small, weak, and scared. Even if I had the strength of a soldier, I would still be outmatched. It was pathetic; I was 14 years old and I still hadn't trained to join the Scout Regiment.

Tears ran aimlessly down my cheeks as I began to realize that the ugly bastard was 'playing with its food'. He was gnawing on her, refusing to actually eat her. Her pained screams echoed off the walls of the houses around us, making it hard for me to look away and run.

'_No. There's no way I can leave her. No way!'_

This woman who I had loved so dearly, didn't deserve this at all. Sadly, she wasn't my real mother. Not that it made a difference of how much I loved her. I was taken in by her at the young age of five, and before that, I didn't remember a thing about having biological parents by my side. She was the only parent I had ever known.

And right before my very eyes, she was being eaten like some type of five-course steak.

With a sickening finale, the Titan leaned its head back, opening its mouth wider and biting down one last time. The action caused a rain of blood droplets to pour down, pelting everything on the ground including me. My eyes widened further in horror as the other half of her was swallowed down its throat with a sickening gulp.

The blood had landed on my face, and I furiously swiped it away. Looking at my hands, I couldn't take it anymore. I retched, emptying out whatever food I had in my stomach the previous day.

'_Is…this hell?'_

Suddenly, a large hand wrapped around my body, squeezing the air out of me and causing me to shake in terror. I was too busy being distracted by insufficient thoughts, and in that moment the monster had enough time to grab me before I could make a departure.

_Stupid! _I scolded myself, as it brought me up close to its face, the ugly grin still plastered on and no doubt having fun torturing every human that comes in the way of its path. I froze, knowing that it was going to do the same thing to me that it had done to my mother.

Before I even had time to scream, I was in between its blood-coated teeth, and the upper ones had lodged itself into the right side of my torso and stomach. It wasn't deep enough to pierce organs; it was too busy playing with me to actually infuse fatal injury. But it was deep enough to scar me for the rest of my life.

'_Che, what life?' _I thought bitterly. If I moved, I would die instantly. If I didn't move, I would die eventually. What could I do to provide myself with a better outcome? Nothing.

"Over here, you squinty-eyed freak!"

I gasped voluntarily as I heard the familiar voice of my adopted brother, Rico, shouting from above. The Titan turned with me still in its mouth, looking at the demolished roof of a small cottage. From what I could tell, the titan was only about a 7-meter, and the roof was definitely taller.

The look Rico gave the Titan was nothing short of pure, immense hatred, mixed with slight fear. He looked straight at me, his chocolate orbs brimming with pain. His hair ruffled slightly in the wind, and everything went still.

I knew that look.

He was getting ready to do something stupid.

"No, Rico…" I begged quietly, my vision blurred due to tears. "Don't. Please, just run away and save yourself. There's nothing you can do for me now."

"Idiot, like I'd let you die. I'd miss you like hell." He smirked half-heartedly before turning his glare back onto the Titan. "I can see that you got a mouth full of something already."

'_Jerk.' _I inwardly seethed.

"Too bad, I was hoping to shove this down your throat."

I noticed that he had pulled out a large wine bottle that he must have stolen out of our father's cabinet, and he shook it ever so slightly, the liquid inside of it sloshing quietly. I shook my head. I knew _exactly _what that was.

"Hope this fries you all the way to your brain, you bastard!"

And with that, he threw the bottle at the Titans eyes. It smashed to pieces, emitting a pained roar from it. The liquid spread quickly, causing steam to flow from the top half of its face. Luckily, it let me go and sent me careening to the ground. The impact was less than soft, but I wasn't hurt any more than I already was.

For a couple seconds, it thrashed around, scratching at its face as the substance did quickly to burn it off. Even so, I knew it wouldn't take long for it to regenerate.

I jumped as I was lifted onto Rico's back, surprised at how fast he arrived by my side. "We've got to hurry before he heals, so grab on and don't make this harder for me than it is." he snapped.

I nodded, ignoring his rude tone and the pain in my side as we ran through several streets. I knew which direction we were headed, and that was to the boats. Rico looked behind his shoulder into my eyes.

"How bad is it?" He asked in a worry-filled tone, and I knew that he was referring to my side. He continued to run to the docks where people were quickly filing into the boats. There was still a bit of room left from what I could see, but we would have to worry. I was impressed with how fast he could move while carrying that much weight.

"Not that bad, but it will need stitching I think," I muttered, still in shock of what happened to mother.

I leaned my head into my brother's shoulder. I should have done something. Anything. Damnit, why couldn't I do something instead of being frozen on the spot?!

"When we get to the boats, I'll wrap it up with my jacket and find a medic as soon as we get behind Wall Rose."

I nodded solemnly, a move I had been doing a lot today as I watched as Rico began pushing some desperate civilians out of the way and sprint up the ramp, wedging us between three other children. He kneeled gently, and I crawled off his back to lean against the boat's side.

The children must have been friends, because I saw no adults with them and from the way they were cramped together, they looked comfortable with each other despite the fear they showed. One boy had a mop of blonde hair and blue eyes, and I could tell he was the youngest by his physique and features. Either that, or he was just really tiny compared to the others. The girl, who appeared the oldest, had medium-length black hair and blue-grey eyes that appeared cold with melancholy. The middle-aged boy, who was standing over the boats edge and looking back at the rest of Shiganshina had dark brown hair and emerald eyes. His viridian depths showed the determination that I knew very well; the determination to kill Titans.

I decided that I liked this boy already.

I turned back to my brother who had flopped down beside me, checking the wound in my side. I was glad that I at least had him; I didn't have a clue of what I would have done if I ended up alone, or even worse, dead. The wound was bleeding, but not by a lot. It didn't feel like I was losing too much blood, so for that I was glad.

Rico took his jacket off, and as promised, wrapped it around my torso and stomach. It could go around a couple of times because of how small I was, so it wouldn't leak through and would hold for a while. I saw what the wound had looked like; it looked like giant teeth marks that ran along from about the bottom of my breast to my lower hipbone. I shivered.

It would definitely scar. Just _perfect. _

I leaned against said brother's shoulder, trying to calm myself of the nerves that were wracking my body. I felt so guilty, yet so angered by all of this. If those damn Titans never existed, I would never have lost my mother, and I would never of had to leave my home and go behind the sanctuary of Wall Rose. Ever since that morning, when the wall was breached by the Colossal Titan, the carnivores began to swarm the city, eating any type of human they could find. It was repulsive, disgusting and horrifying all at once.

I hated them with a passion.

"Sousa…" Rico interrupted my thoughts, making me turn my gaze on him. He looked apologetically at me. "I'm sorry…if I was a second sooner, I would have been able to save mother, too."

I went cold at those words. It couldn't of been helped. Mother was too focused on helping us escape, but we couldn't. She had been so adamant about fighting the monster herself, but she had gotten too full of herself while using the 3DMG gear that she had found on a dead stationary guard, and that plan quickly failed the second she tried to use it. The effort was for nothing, and she paid the price.

"It's not your fault…" I sighed, lowering my head to cover my amethyst-blue eyes that were surely rimmed with red. "We did everything we could, but she didn't listen to us."

I lifted my head, my gaze hardening. "As much as I want to grieve more than anything, I have to stay strong. Otherwise, I'll lose myself. I don't want that, for both of our sakes."

It wasn't the first time I had seen someone die, after all. Mother died from a Titan, but I had seen someone die from being killed by another human. This world was just too cruel.

"So…" he dragged, ruffling my hair the slightest bit and trying to ignore the protests of people as the boat began to move, already filled with people. "You haven't changed your mind at all, then?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? About what?"

"About the Recon Corps. About joining them."

I knew he would mention that sooner or later. As if on cue, dread and anger stronger than I had ever felt before began to pile up, rending me furious. "Of course not," I scowled, clenching my fist. "First chance I get, I'm going to enlist and train. And then, I'm going on those bloody expeditions to kill those ugly bastards. I don't have the time to feel scared or worried about them anymore."

Everything I had said in that moment was the truth. In all honesty, I felt nothing towards Titans other than hatred. I was still scared for my life and other's lives; don't get me wrong. But I was just so _tired. _Tired of living in fear every day for myself and my family. Tired of being kept behind a wall my entire life, away from a world that I could potentially see. I wanted to be free of the Titans, free of this isolation that felt like a cage.

_I wanted out._

"I see…" Rico sighed, scratching the back of his head. His brown orbs spiked with a new emotion that I hadn't seen yet. He then grinned boyishly. "Then I guess I don't have a choice. I'll join, too."

"Eh?!" I let out a strangled and confused noise. He grinned wider.

"I _said _I'm going to join. I can't let my little sister get in all the trouble by herself. Besides, is there anyone crazier than me?"

For the first time today, I let out a humored snort, smiling back at him. It felt good having him around. "Now that you mention it, probably not. I don't know anyone crazier than you, especially since I don't know anyone who would pull a stunt like throwing _hydrochloric acid _at a Titan. Yep, you're insane, big bro."

"The most insane there is," he clarified while winking at me. I couldn't help but grin at his silliness. Despite the sadness that we felt swirling in our guts, we had newfound determination set in our lives as we continued our accent to the next defensive wall.

Little did I know, the boy with the beautiful emerald eyes was staring at me, contemplating the words I had said earlier. He turned his head back to the horizon, glaring off into the distance with the same set goal.

"Don't have the time to feel scared or worried, huh?" He repeated, clenching his fist harder around the boat rail.

"Me neither. I'm going to kill every Titan there is. Every last one of them."

'_Same friend, same.' _I agreed, closing my eyes and focusing on the rocking on the boat. What was to come for kids like us, I didn't know. But I did know one thing.

Those Titans were in for a grave ass-kicking.

**How was that for a first chapter? It was mostly just a flashback to when the Shiganshina atrocity happened, and I decided to keep her close to Eren so their first meeting wouldn't be awkward. **

**I will have about four types of P.O.V changes throughout the story, so I'm sorry if it confuses some people. I'll do my best to be thorough.**

**Updating might be a little slim, but I'll do my best to get some in about two to four chapter a week. Depending on my schedule, which is busy. Reviews keep me going, too ;)**

**Hope you enjoyed **

**~M**


	2. Meeting

**A/N: Updating sooner rather than later, because I have a lot to write about.**

**(Sousa's P.O.V)**

'_Five years later, and we're finally here.'_

I dodged a left punch that Rico threw, the fast jab enough to make me stagger back. I growled, sending a kick to his left side. He let out an 'oomph' sound, but grabbed my leg in hopes of throwing my down. I retaliated, quickly using the momentum to swing my other leg up and plant it on his chest, kicking off to flip back a few feet away.

'_I've come this far, so I need to make it in the top 15 no matter what if I want to join the Survey Corps. It's not an option to give up. Jesus, why am I thinking so much during sparring?'_

In a flash, I saw another fist raining down on me, but I quickly dove left to avoid it. I gritted my teeth in frustration.

"Focus, Sousa! I nearly had you there, and I _never _have you!" Rico barked, kicking a foot out from under me. I stood on one knee, blocking the next hit with my arm. I was pretty strong for how small I was, but it still stung a bit on impact.

"I know, I know!" I lashed back, sending two quick jibes to my brothers gut and skittering away to create more distance. It was like this every day; wake up, eat, train, eat, train some more, sleep, and then doing that all over again. Over the years, my skills have improved greatly as I have gotten older and a bit burlier. I'm still quite small, but not as small as I used to be. My size actually improves my performances, and I'm proud of that.

Using the 3DMG gear and blades was easy as well as hand-to-hand combat thanks to previous training, but I still preferred something different. As much as I liked using the tools, constantly relying on the grapples and reusable blades was annoying. Plus, the damn things were heavy. If I have a chance to make something lighter, I'm definitely going to do it.

I flattened my palm out, sending a jibe to the area right between his forearm and upper-arm area. Rico grabbed his arm in pain as it went limp, the pressure point quickly reacting to the abuse. I grinned triumphantly.

"I win, again."

"Yeah, yeah." My brother dismissed, swinging his arm a bit to get the feeling back into it. I also specialized in pressure-point assaults, so in case I was in a dangerous situation I could easily flee if there were too many enemies.

"_Trainees, front and center!"_

As soon as we heard that, we began walking briskly towards the training ground, other trainees following suit. I looked around, nothing how much younger everyone was there than I was.

"Jeez, all these other people are mostly teenagers. I feel so old." I commented under my breath. Rico was walking by my side, chuckling and shaking his head.

"There are some adults too, so don't feel too bad about it. At least we're here, right?" he smiled, patting me on the shoulder. I just shrugged.

"I guess so. We're pre-trained, so this shouldn't be too difficult."

On accident, I bumped into the male in front of me, causing him to jerk forward. He turned around, giving me a slight glare before trailing his eyes down my body, a spark of lust hinting his gaze. I felt my eye twitch slightly.

"Sorry. I should have paid attention to where I was going." I apologized, shuddering at the disgust I was feeling. The man smirked, taking a step closer to me. He must have been at least 6'0, because he was towering over my form. Not that he was intimidating or anything, but I could tell he was the jerk type.

"Not a problem. Besides, you've got a nice rack to look at as compensation." He snidely remarked, and I glared at him.

"Excuse me?" I snapped. Rico gently pushed me out of the way, coming face-to-face with the obviously over-hormonal man. The look he gave him was nothing short of terrifying.

"Say that again, and I'll rip your tongue out of your skull," he snarled defensively, pushing the man back away from us. The man was quickly about to retaliate as he came back, reaching for Rico's collar.

"Oh? Let's see you try—"

"_Is there a problem here, maggots?!" _A man who looked to be the instructor came over and stood between the two, and I noticed that everyone was already in line starting at the scene, save for us. I ducked my head. Our first day, and we've already caused trouble. Great.

"N-No, sir," my brother stuttered, a bit flustered that he acted out. The asshole before him flinched at the mere sight of the instructor.

"Good, then move to your spots or its running time!" he barked, sending us to our spots. I roughly pulled Rico into some empty spots in front, just because I was the type to be on track no matter what. It was imperative that I heard word-for-word on what we'd be doing.

"Now that I _finally_ have everyone's attention," he paused, glaring at my brother and I for good measure with his dark-rimmed eyes. "I will introduce myself. My name is Keith Shadis, and I am the head instructor of the 104th trainee's squad. I will be interpreting whether or not you savages are fit enough to be soldier material, or Titan fodder!"

I felt my eyes widen a bit. No wonder, I thought I had recognized that voice. He was the former Commander of the Survey Corps, the one I had seen leading his men outside the walls five years ago. Knowing this, I knew he'd be a strict instructor.

'_Bring it on,' _I internally smirked. '_I need some good motivation.'_

Instructor Keith began walking around the area of trainees, asking them 'Who the hell are you,' and 'why the hell are you here'. I found it a bit amusing, but I kept my expression blank. I knew that if I even split a grin, I'd be yelled at, or worse, running the whole day. I really didn't want either one.

I felt pretty bad when he went to Armin, whose name I learned after he shouted it as loud as he could to the instructor. He was a cute little thing; the innocence he donned was refreshing. I knew that he was one of the children I had seen on the boat that day, the one with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes.

'_I'll have to introduce myself to him later.' _I reminded myself. Instructor kept going down the line to a teen named Jean Kirstein, who said he wanted to join the Military Police. He even said that they were the best of the best. I scoffed.

'_The best of the best, until they see an actual Titan. Then, they piss their pants and run back behind Wall Sina.'_

The Military Police was a complete joke. I have come to that conclusion after seeing them bully countless people who had escaped from the breach of my hometown, treating them as if they were mere gruel fed to starving pigs. It infuriated me to the very depths of my soul. No matter what, I'd never join a coward legion like that. I almost laughed when he head-butted Jean, telling him that he was a good-for-nothing if he stayed on the ground.

Next, he stopped in front of Marco Bott, yet _another _idiot that wanted to join the Military Police. I shook my head slightly. Poor souls didn't know what they were getting into. All they would do behind that stupid interior would be getting fat and lazy.

I winced when Connie Springer, a small recruit with his head shaven, was picked up by the head and left dangling when he saluted the opposite way. I sighed. '_He'll eventually learn which side is which, not too worried about that. At least he wasn't like those other fools that want to join the Pity-Police.'_

_**CRUNCH**_

I turned my head to see a girl with reddish-brown hair in a ponytail eating something…a potato, I think? I gaped at her, not able to keep my expression solid anymore.

'_Does she want to die?!'_

Instructor Keith saw this, and even when he glanced at her, she kept on eating. He shuffled up to her, his posture rigid with anger.

"_AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN EAT UNDER MY INSTRUCTION?!" _

Sasha Braus, a girl that I have decided to call 'potato-girl', saluted with the potato still in her hand.

'_Oh crap. I'm so close to losing it.'_

Rico looked at me worriedly as I cracked a small smile, my body shaking in silent giggles. "Keep it together," he reminded me quietly. I nodded, the smile off my face.

"I didn't want it to go to waste, so I gave it shelter in my stomach, sir!"

When she replied this, I coughed, nearly choking on my own attempt not to laugh. Rico patted my back lightly before I quickly recovered.

Sasha reached out a hand, about ¾ of the potato in her grasp as the other ¼ kept closer to her chest.

"You can have half." She decided, smiling sheepishly.

That done it.

I burst out in giggles, no longer able to control them. The instructor's face was priceless, I couldn't help it. It took everything I had in me not to let out a full-blown laugh. Even Rico was chuckling now. The bad thing was, no one else was laughing but us. I had tears in my eyes up until this point, and I held a hand over my mouth. The other trainees were looking at us with confused expressions.

"_IS SOMETHING FUNNY, RECRUIT?!"_

I jumped as I looked up to see the instructor in front of us now, staring both my brother and I down. I immediately stood tall, wiping any trace of emotion off my face.

'_Damnit. Never should have done that.'_

"Of course not, sir." Rico saluted, his voice and expression firm.

'_Thank you, Gods, for giving me Rico as a brother.'_

Instructor Keith turned to him, his eyes narrowing. "Oh really? _I can't hear you, trainee!_"

"Of course not, _sir!_" Rico bellowed back, his voice now raised and echoing throughout the training grounds. I felt proud of him.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Rico Conners, from Shiganshina, sir!"

"Good to know that you can speak, after all. What's your purpose for being here, maggot?!"

Rico paused momentarily, his eyes flicking to me before landing back on the instructor. "To join the Scouting Legion to protect my sister, sir!"

I felt my heart warm. '_Rico…you really are too good of a brother for me.'_

"Oh yeah? Which one of these other runts are your sister?"

"That would be me, sir." I spoke, placing my right fist over the left side of my chest. He turned towards me, towering over me like an adult would a child. Expect, I was an adult. Sigh.

For some unexplainable reason, his gaze became soft, before returning to the harshness of before. "What's your name, then?!"

"Sousa Conners, also from Shiganshina. My purpose for being here is to join the Survey Corps and wipe out the Titans, so humanity can be freed from being cooped up in a wall for eternity."

The instructor eyed my carefully, nodding his head once.

"That's a damn fine answer, goldie. So fine that I'll even forget the fact that you're too quiet!" he moved on, throwing down the potato he had been holding in his palm. I felt someone's gaze burning on the back of my head, but quickly ignored it as the instructor's yells were distracting me from it.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Wow, look at her run. I can't believe she's been at it all day."

"Rico, she was eating a bloody _potato _during introductions," I deadpanned, watching as Sasha had continue to stumble around the dirt track. What did you expect from something like that? A vacation? I was surprised her punishment wasn't worse.

"Say's you. You actually laughed in the middle of it! I don't think I've ever seen the day that you couldn't hold in a laugh like that." Rico gave me a lopsided grin, ruffling my hair. I pouted, rubbing it back the way it was so that my bangs fell over my eyes again.

"Hush it. You were laughing too."

"Correction. I was chuckling, which is not as bad as giggling."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's go get some grub. I'm starving."

When we walked inside where the tables were, I saw that the MP boy from earlier, Jean, was saying something to another male from across his table. I think the other one was talking about Shiganshina.

'_Wait…'_

"Look, I'm just speaking honestly here. I think being in the MP is better than being some loud-mouthed bragger, tough guy wannabe pretending he's not as piss-scared as the rest of us."

I blinked confusedly and put my tray of food on a nearby table, hearing the scooting back of a chair. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.

'_That's...the other boy from Shiganshina, the one who was the most determined! So, he made it after all?'_

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" he seethed, his eyes cold as he glared at Jean. I just watched as they continued to bicker.

"Stop it you guys!" someone said in a hushed whisper, trying to break up the banter.

Jean stood up as well, stalking forward while rolling his shoulder. "Well, alright. Makes no difference to me."

'_Children, that's what they are apparently.'_

Before they could lay a hand on each other, I was already stopped in front of them, giving them both death glares. The confused glances they gave me were a bit comical, but I held my composure.

"I think everyone here is a bit tired after their first day, so why don't you take it easy and go back to enjoying your meals? I'm sure you can take this out while you're in training."

"Nobody asked you, goldie. This isn't any of your business." Jean spat at me.

I sighed, closing my eyes briefly before opening them again, my gaze hardening into a frightening one. He looked taken aback for a moment.

"Actually, it _is _my business, considering you both are disturbing the peace. Do everyone a favor: lower the testosterone and finish your meal." My eyes softened, and I gave a little pout. I didn't know if this would work, but it seemed to work on Rico so I might as well try it on him.

"Please?"

The brown-haired teen blushed. "S-S-Sorry, I'll just go sit a-and, um, yeah," he finished dumbly, scuffling back to his seat and looking anywhere but me. I raised an eyebrow.

'_I find that very ridiculous, how the hell does that work?'_

I felt a bit disgusted at myself, but pushed the feeling down as the emerald-eyed boy looked down at me with slight wonder. I smiled politely. "Sorry, I hope I didn't seem rude to you. I just wanted the peace for everyone is all."

"U-uhm…" he started, scratching the back of his head. Most of the people dispersed or went back to their tables, so it was just him and I, save Rico who was sitting a couple tables back, talking to a few other trainees who I recognized as Bertolt and Reiner.

"How about we sit?" I guided him gently by the arm so he sat facing me on the opposite side of the table. I just smiled at his nervousness.

"You…" he stopped, pausing for a second before continuing. "You're from Shiganshina too, right? Sousa Conners?"

I nodded. "You remembered my name, that's good. I was just about to introduce myself, anyways." I tilted my head to the side, studying him. He was definitely the same boy I saw five years ago; same hair and eyes, but he was taller and more mature-looking. I admit, he grew to be handsome, even though he looked to be about 15.

"You never told me your name yet," I reminded him. "I can't keep referring to you as 'the boy with the beautiful green eyes' forever, now can I?"

Forgive me for sweetening things too much, but I couldn't help it. He just reminded me of myself, and I couldn't ignore that fact.

A soft blush appeared on the brunette's cheeks, and I laughed at his innocence. Despite being a bit rough on the edges, he was actually kinder then I expected him to be. "E-Eren Yeager," he stuttered, the rosy color not disappearing. Jeez, I didn't mean to fluster him _that _badly.

"Eren," I breathed out. I finally had a name. "And your girl-shadow?" I nodded my head to the girl behind him who was staring warily at him, and my eyes sparkled. It was the girl I had seen with him on the boats, the oldest one. She had grown up as well.

"Huh?" he turned around to look at who I was referring to. "Oh, that's Mikasa. She's my sister, though not by blood."

I nodded, finally knowing all of their names. Armin, Mikasa, and Eren. All lovely names for strong teens. "I see. It's nice to finally meet all of you." I reached out a hand, and he bashfully grabbed it, pumping it once.

For some reason, I felt like crying. With all of the similar things that we went through, it felt like I was tasting a bit of home for the first time in years. Home that one day, I hope to reach again.

"You know, me and my brother were on the same boats you three were on, that day…" I paused for a second, afraid to bring up bad memories. Not for myself, but for Eren. His eyes drooped sadly for a bit before meeting mine again.

"Really? Wait…" he looked as if he was remembering something, and then his eyes widened in disbelief. "You're that girl! That girl that said she was joining the Recon Corps! And…" his eyes trailed down to my side. "You…had that bite mark…"

I flinched visibly. He hit me where it hurt the most. I hated talking about the scars that I adorned, but for right now I would make an exception. I just nodded at his curiosity. "Yes, that's me. Guilty as charged," I joked, earning a smile from him.

"I remember you, too." I held a hand to my racing heart as the girl, Mikasa, appeared right next to me.

"You scared the hell out of me," I breathed out, then laughed. I took her hand, shaking it lightly. A small blush appeared on her cheeks, and she hid it behind her collar. It was small, but it was there. "It's nice to meet you too, Mikasa." I grinned, dropping her hand. She nodded cutely, and I could feel my grin widening.

A bell rang from somewhere outside, notifying that it was almost time for lights out. I rolled my eyes. '_Typical military-style fortress.'_

"Ah, well I guess we'll have to talk some other time. It's nearly time for bed," I bit my lip, a bit relieved. I didn't want to keep talking about Shiganshina, anyways. I didn't need any more distractions plaguing my mind.

"Yeah, we definitely will." Eren agreed, standing up and heading out the door with Mikasa on his heels. They turned, giving one last wave and then leaving. I felt my eyes water. I knew from then on, we would be great friends. I felt like I had a duty to protect them, as well as my brother. Just more people to be determined with.

"Oi, I saw that exchange. Are you trying to get your ass beat the first day?" I heard Rico say as he came to stand next to me, following me suit as I also began filing out of the door.

"I don't go looking for trouble, and you know it. I would have left it alone if I didn't know who they were."

"That's the thing though, things like these are common in the trainee's squad. It's just an everyday occurrence." He rambled, turning the corner as I did. I rolled my eyes at his observing skills.

"Seriously, Rico, it's fine. Besides, I met two of the three kids that we saw on the boat that day, remember? The one's that I told you about?"

He raised a brow, rubbing his chin in thought. "The one with the green eyes?"

"Mhm," I confirmed, stopping at the fork in the road between girl's cabins and boy's cabins. "His name is Eren Yeager. The girl's name is Mikasa, and the blonde boy we saw getting pummeled by Shadis earlier is Armin Arlert."

"Ah, we have names!" my brother joked, pulling me into a hug. I obliged, giving him back a tight embrace since this would be the first night that we'd be separated at night.

"We'll talk to them tomorrow. Be safe, and don't make any rash decisions. I won't be there to help you if you do," Rico scolded, wagging a finger in my face after backing out of the hug. I rolled my eyes, swatting it away.

"You really are too protective, big brother. You're only two years older than me!"

"Well now, I can't let anyone take my little sister's innocence away, now can I? Though I suppose it's already gone, considering the blood-lust you feel when talking about destroying Titans is pungent."

I felt a blush creep up my neck, and I slapped him on the arm playfully. "Shut it, you damn idiot."

A full blown laugh came out of his throat, and he patted me lightly on the head, just like he did every night before leaving me to sleep. I was 20 years old, and I still wouldn't get over that gesture. "Night, little sister. Sleep well."

We both turned our separate ways, looking back to give one last wave before disappearing into our respective cabins. Little did I know, someone was watching me from afar, eyes narrowing dangerously in anger.

"You'll pay for making me look like a fool, you bitch."

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**Updated really quickly, just because. Its 3:16 am and I'm still not tired, but I will sleep. ehh.**

**Hope you enjoyed (:**


	3. Proving Skill

**A/N: Soooo I got my first follower, I'm so happy! Things like this definitely give me motivation to write and update. So thank you, ThanatosXD!**

**I will do shout outs for the people who review as well, so review away (;**

**Continue~**

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'_Man. Can't we move on to something that's a bit tougher than this? It's obvious that Rico and I are already getting the hang of it.'_

Today, we were practicing our balance while we in harnesses for the 3DMG gear. As I said before, I had previously trained with these sorts of things and had already mastered them quite well. I looked over to my brother who looked like he had a pained expression on his face, and I smiled.

'_Well, me at least. I think he'll need a bit more practice.'_

My hair swished gently in front of my eyes as I swayed back and forth gently, perfectly capable of keeping balance. I almost laughed at all the disbelieved stares I was getting. It wasn't really that amazing though; quite a few other trainees were doing pretty well while their superiors checked on them, and even Mikasa was doing excellent. There was no faults that I had seen in her balance.

'_She's a nice girl, but I have to watch myself with her. She could possibly kick me out of the ranks if I'm not careful.'_

The only one who I had seen not doing well, surprisingly, was Eren. He had been stuck upside-down, embarrassment filling his features while Instructor Keith was yelling at him to straighten himself out. I felt a bit bad when the others around him began to snicker to themselves. They were laughing now, but they wouldn't be if that was them messing up.

'_Don't worry, Eren,' _I consoled him in my mind. '_A bit more practice and I know you'll be right-side up again.'_

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Later that evening, I was walking up to the trio's table to see Eren with a bandage around his head, most likely from hitting it while he was practicing earlier. Mikasa saw me, gripping the brunette's shoulder in a death-like grip to get his attention.

"Today's just not your day, huh?" I greeted sheepishly, sitting down next to Armin and no doubt scaring him. I let out a laugh.

"Sorry, Armin. I hadn't meant to startle you. We have yet to introduce ourselves, hm?"

The blonde boy blinked confusedly before realizing something. "Y-Yes, that's right! You're Sousa? Eren and Mikasa told me about you…" he reached out a hand, and I shook it firmly, nodding. No doubt had they told him that I was from the same hometown.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled politely.

"Not my day? That's easy for you to say," Eren grumbled. "You and Mikasa don't even need to really practice. You already got the hang of it."

He clenched his fist, his gaze hardening. "Damnit, just how am I supposed to kill Titans if I can't get this one stupid thing down?!"

I sighed, shaking my head voluntarily. "You don't automatically learn how to do it perfectly on the first day, Eren. I had already practiced using the gear before, so this is nothing new to me. No one suspects you to be right on it, that's why they do these types of tests."

"If you'd ask me," Mikasa interrupted quietly. "I think you should just give up this attempt on being a soldier."

His gaze grew furious as he turned it on his adopted sister. "Just what the hell are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that there's a lot more than fighting in combat then just throwing your life away."

"After everything we saw that day, you really expect me to just give up? After what happened to mom?!"

I flinched. Did they _always _have to bring this subject up? In the corner of my eye, I saw Armin looking worriedly at me before turning back to his childhood friends. "Guys, maybe this isn't the best time to bring it up…"

"I'm saying, that whether or not you want to be a soldier, that final decision isn't up to you," Mikasa fired back, ignoring her blonde companion. Eren visibly tensed at this, but before he could talk back, the bell to return to our respective cabins went off, signaling it was almost time for lights out. Again.

Whatever was between those two, I didn't want to pry. I spied Rico on the other side of the room and caught his eye, nodding my head towards the door. Taking our trash and throwing it away, we exited out of the dining hall together like we did every day.

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"Eren Yeager, are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!" he responded eagerly to Keith Shadis, signaling for the one who was helping to lift him into the air. I stood back, nervously watching for the outcome and hoping that he was prepared for the best, or worst.

He was gradually lifted by his harness, trying to find his balance and sticking to it. Cheers came from friends and other trainees alike as he staggered a bit, but I knew better.

My gut feeling was right as he pummeled backwards, just narrowly missing hitting the top of his head on the ground again. I narrowed my eyes a bit. '_Something must be wrong with his gear, his position was spot on. Him flying upside-down wasn't his fault.'_

Eren was regrettably lowered to the ground, the look on his face defeated. I just waited. Instructor Keith had ordered someone to bring extra gear to him, giving it to the brunette to hook on again. When he was lifted back into the air, his position stuck without toppling over.

I lifted an eyebrow, impressed just as much as the other were. Rico was standing next to me, eyes wide in amazement.

"Incredible. He was even able to keep his balance with broken gear? That's crazy," he mumbled, mostly to himself. I patted his back comfortingly.

"Jealous that it wasn't you?" I teased lightly. He just rolled his eyes in mock retaliation.

"Psh, sure. As if I would want to bang my head that many times on the ground. It wouldn't be worth all of the praise."

"I guess so," I agreed feebly, turning back to look at the green-eyed trainee. '_See? I told you. You're going to be a great soldier one of these days.'_

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**(No One's P.O.V)**

"Pick up the pace, you shitheads!"

The instructor was yelling at the trainees who, in turn, did as they were told. They were running through the rain-damped forest with rain gear and packs on their backs, but one in particular was having difficulty keeping up.

"Package too heavy for you, Arlert?" the instructor asked the blonde boy. "Hell, drop it for all I care, leave it in the mud, even! Doesn't matter, by now you'd be Titan food anyways!" he hurried away back up front on his horse, still spurring them all on.

Armin didn't let his words sway him and kept running, his breath ragged. 'Damnit,' he thought bitterly. Suddenly, his pack was taken from him.

"Seriously, Armin?" Reiner scolded, now carrying Armin's pack. "Here, focus on staying upright. We _are _being graded today, you know!"

"Thanks, but you'll get in trouble for helping…"

"Yea, but it's not like he'll find out. Just make the cut, and we're even, okay?"

The instructor was eyeing the boys behind him carefully, fully aware of the situation. '_Reiner Braun, the mind and constitution of a grass-fed ox; respected by his comrades.' _

With resolve, Armin sped up to Reiner, taking back his pack and catching up to the front of the running line.

'_Armin Arlert, built like a daffodil, but his academic performance is impressive.'_

Later, the instructor was studying the trainees while they moved with the 3DMG gear, studying their sword-skills and speed.

Ripping by, three trainees were seen as they cut the fake-hide of a wooden Titan. Two quick slashes were efficiently made.

'_Annie Leonhart. Gifted with a sword, but doesn't exactly play well with others.'_

'_Bertolt Hoover. Heaps of native talent, but too mild-mannered.'_

'_Jean Kirstein. Head of the class on ODM, also an insufferable smart-ass with a hair-trigger temper.'_

Jean zipped through the trees with his 3DMG gear, dead-set on finding a Titan to slash to show off his skills. Before he could reach one, however, Connie had flown by with impressive speed, ready to steal his thunder.

_**SLASH**_

Connie let out a surprised sound when Sasha was there, cutting the fabric before he could attempt to.

"Yahooo!~" she cried, a big grin on her face as her gear slung her back up into the trees.

'_Sasha Blouse. Unusually fine instincts, but rarely shares them with her teammates.'_

'_Connie Springer. Agile on the switchbacks, a few sandwiches shy of a picnic.'_

"Get ready," one trainee helper said to another, pulling on the ropes to bring out more fake Titans. Mikasa wasted no time zipping by, making deep cuts into the foam necks. Following suit, Eren made his own incision in one, but was clearly not happy by how shallow it was compared to his sister's.

'_Mikasa Ackerman. Model cadet; excels in everything. In fact, it's no overstatement to call the girl a genius.'_

'_Eren Yeager. Lackluster in the classroom, marginally better in the field, but driven by a sense of purpose that's almost terrifying.'_

Rico had emerged from the depths of the trees, taking out a titan quickly and efficiently before Mikasa had a chance to. It was an all-out battle to see who could take out the most in the forest.

'_Rico Conners. Not exactly the most terrific with the 3DMG gear, but his intelligence and strength clearly rival his most of his comrades, and his leadership skills are impressive.'_

He kept slinging to an area that was occupied with the wooden giants, but a blonde blur flashed past him, turning to give him a mock salute.

"Not this time, big bro! These ones are mine!"

Sousa ripped through three of the fake Titans, making extremely deep slashes that went all the way down to the wood. One had splintered all the way through, causing pieces of wood to fly everywhere and nearly blind her brother.

"Jesus, keep it clean, Sousa!" Rico had scolded his sister. The instructor let out an amused chuckle.

'_Sousa Conners. Like her brother, she has impressive leadership skills. Excels in everything, and makes a difficult opponent to beat. Definitely a 1__st__ place candidate.'_

Giving Rico one last look, Sousa disappeared in the vast amount of trees in front of her.

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**(Sousa's P.O.V.)**

"Damn, that seriously hurt."

"Don't egg me on next time then, idiot," I scolded my brother, reaching a hand out to help him off of the ground. He accepted it, and I pulled him to his feet as he rubbed the side of his leg where I kicked him. It must have hurt him so bad, that his knees buckled and he flopped down.

"Tch. It's not my fault that you have the strength of a Titan. All those years of training really did you good, eh?"

I shrugged, clapping fake dust off my hands. "Must have. I've gotten really good at all of this. And pretty soon, we're going to graduate!"

My eyes sparkled like diamonds and Rico chuckled, patting me on the head. This time, I didn't bother swatting his hand away. I was too busy being happy about graduating. I couldn't wait to join the Scouting Legion. And then, I'd be able to kill Titans. I felt so anxious to sink my blades into the nape of one's neck.

"Looks like Eren's doing pretty well for himself," he noted, watching as the brunette had flipped Reiner up into the air and slamming him back down again. I winced. That must of hurt like a bitch.

"Yeah, by nearly killing one of his comrades." I joked, walking over to the fighting duo. Eren flicked his gaze towards me, a slight blush on his cheeks before looking away. I tilted my head slightly.

'_Okay…that was a little weird.'_

"Looks like you're taking a bit of a beating," I smirked at Reiner, and he returned it, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, the guy's pretty tough. He was just asking why we had to do this exercise, but I think it's important."

"How is it important?" Eren drawled. "I just can't see why we have to do this, that's all."

"Because, Eren," I took the wooden knife from him, flipping it in my grasp and catching it again. "Enemies come in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't matter, soldiers are always supposed to be prepared for anything, right?"

"Didn't know you were so deep into this stuff, little sister." Rico teased, earning a glare from me as I huffed.

"Well yeah, it's just that I want to learn as much as possible before joining the Scouting Legion. Why else would I be so serious?"

"You still want to join the Scouting Legion?" Eren echoed, eyes wide in wonder. I nodded, confirming his suspicion.

"Of course, why would I change my mind?"

He quickly looked down to his feet, and I could see him clench his fist. "No reason, I was just a bit curious."

"Ah," I commented in a bored tone. Behind him, I could see Annie Leonhart walking around aimlessly, not a care in the world for what the other trainees were doing. "Why is she just walking around? Doesn't anyone want to fight her?"

"Looks like she just wants to slack off," Eren spat, disgusted with how careless the girl was being. Reiner looked at him with a gleam in his eye. And by the looks of it, it didn't look good.

"You think so? Maybe someone outta give her a talking to, give her a little lesson in preparing this." He told Eren, leaning down to speak into his ear. I raised an eyebrow. I knew what he was doing. I already knew the answer to my question, anyways. She may not look it; but Annie was actually very skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

Reiner had stopped the girl in her tracks, saying some pretty harsh words to her and earning a death glare that was nothing short of scary. And I dare say, she looked _pissed._

The burly blonde put his hands on Eren's shoulders, pushing him forward. "Okay man, go get her!" he cheered him on.

When they took up battle stances, I could see which one was clearly more skilled. Annie's stance would give her the upper-hand quickly, even if she struck first. Her right foot was just a little behind her left, and she held her arms up, one slightly higher than the other.

'_She's going to kick him,_' I examined, narrowing my eyes a bit. _'I can already see it. Especially since she has one foot behind the other, her forward foot will give her enough momentum to make it painful. I do this all the time with Rico, so I should know.'_

"Right then, I hope you don't expect me to hold back!" Eren taunted, running forward to make the first move. "Head's up!"

'_He's a gonner.'_

With a _whoosh, _Annie had swung her right leg out, kicking Eren's left and causing him to fall to his knees. I knew that must have been painful by the look on his face. I even felt a little bad but, hey, maybe he'd learn a thing or two from her? You never know.

"Son-of-a-" he cut himself off, gritting his teeth in frustration as he struggled back to his feet. "That was a dirty move!" With another flop and a cry, Eren fell back onto his knees again.

"Are we done here?" the blue-eyed girl asked with boredom laced in her tone, putting a hand on her hip. Reiner shook his head.

"Not just yet, you know the drill. You have to take up the dagger."

She sighed in frustration, turning back to the boy who was finally back on his feet. Eren's eyes widened in horror. "N-No, wait!" he tried to stall, but of course, Annie hadn't listened to him and struck again, kicking out his feet from under him and making him land on his back in a weird position.

I giggled at the way he was laying, and the brunette blushed. Even my brother watched in slight wonder at how strong the blonde was.

"I don't think I want to ever fight her, either." He muttered, backing up a little behind me. I just rolled my eyes.

"It would do good, maybe knock some sense into that daisy-filled head of yours."

He stuck his tongue out at me, focusing his gaze back on the fight.

Annie threw the wooden knife at Reiner, asking if he was ready for his turn. The male blonde just shuffled slightly, letting out a confused sound. "Uh…."

"C'mon, Reiner. It's your turn," I cooed, batting my eyelashes for good measure. He visibly flinched, looking down at Eren. The boy was giving him a death glare of his own, nodding in approval.

"Alright, I guess I can't afford to back down. Get ready, here I co-"

His words were cut off when he was also put on his back, his gaze pained. I snorted, holding my sides as I laughed with tears in my eyes.

"Oh man, you should see the look's on your faces!" I slapped my thigh, throwing my head back and laughing harder. "You really believed you wouldn't have a challenge on your hands and then you got your asses kicked! Oh god, my sides hurt!"

Reiner tsked, getting back onto his feet as was Eren. He glared at me. "Oh yeah?" he said challengingly. "I don't see you putting your two cents in. Why don't you have a go at her?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, then. I have all the time I need, anyways. Hey, wait!" I called to the retreating blonde, and she turned her head to look at me. I gave a small smile. "Could I perhaps spar with you as well? You still have a little time left, right?"

I thought I saw her eye twitch a second before she started walking back, a sigh escaping her lips again. "I guess. But let's make this quick, I don't have all day."

I nodded, grinning. "Sure, make the best woman win!" I felt excitement bubble in my stomach, the anticipation to fight soaring through my body. Backing up to a respective way away from Annie, we both took our stances. Hers was the same, while mine was a bit different. I switched it up, one hand in front clasped in a fist while the other parallel to the ground, one foot in front of the other.

'_This should switch things up. I'll make the first move, because I already know what her counter-attack will be.'_

Rico had a smile on his face as he stood off to the side with Reiner and Eren, raising one arm in the air. "I'll ref this one, then." He decided, swinging his arm down. "Begin!"

Without a moment to lose, I lunged for her, running with my arm raised.

'_Not yet…'_

Everything was like in slow motion as I anticipated her attack, her right foot moving a bit more backwards.

'_Not yet…'_

I was getting closer as she began to swing her leg up.

'_Not yet…!'_

Her leg was coming towards mine now, ready to make me go toppling.

'_Now!'_

With quick reflexes, I jumped over her sweeping kick, bouncing back into a handstand to deliver a kick to the left side of her head. I knew she would take the bait, and by the looks of things, she was surprised. Everyone's faces had the same expression as Annie just nearly blocked my kick.

'_She's fast. That means I won't have to hold anything back, then.'_

She made to grab my leg, which I anticipated and flipped back onto my feet again, sending an uppercut to her chin. Regretfully, she blocked that, too.

'_Time to step things up a notch.'_

**(Rico's P.O.V)**

'_She learned well. Even managed to surpass me at some point.'_

I watched as Annie blocked one of Sousa's punches, sending a flurry of her own that my sister easily dodged. I was surprised that she was lasting this long against her, because usually by now the brat would render one of her pressure points useless.

"S-She's doing better than I expected," Eren stuttered in awe. I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest and nodding like a proud father.

"For how long she's been training, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if she beat Annie. Girl's got crazy moves."

A crowd of trainees began to gather, no doubt taking time away from their sparring to watch the two blonde's fight. Sousa had managed to land a kick on the blonde's side, pushing her back a few feet. Annie quickly recovered, and the crowd began to cheer.

"Kick her ass, Annie!"

"Give her pain, Sousa!"

"Hold on, aren't they supposed to be using the wooden knife?"

"Who cares, this match is good!"

Retorts were made back and forth, and I could only roll my eyes.

'_Mindless drones want nothing more than to see a good fight.' _I turned my gaze back onto the two females. '_Well, they got one.'_

The taller blonde girl began to tire a bit, and Sousa noticed, quickly taking advantage of the situation by sending a clean swipe to her face, knocking her head to one side. She sped up her movements, kicking Annie's feet out from under her.

She flipped her onto her back, pinning one arm down with her foot and holding onto the other arm. I could see the triumphant grin on her face.

Everyone, including Eren, cheered loudly. I closed my eyes, smirking approvingly.

'_Good job, kid.'_

**(Sousa's P.O.V)**

"Looks like I win this one." I said proudly, letting go of Annie after forcibly making her submit. I had seen it coming; she was quickly slowing down, so I took advantage of that without fail. The monotonous girl just narrowed her eyes, looking away as if none of this was important.

"I guess you do." She agreed sullenly.

I reached out a hand to her and she grabbed it, standing back up to look me in the eye. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My brother taught me," I replied, flashing a smile that matched Rico's on the sidelines. Her expression didn't change.

"Oh," she just said, nodding to me before turning around and walking away. "Good fight, then. The Legions could use your skills. Everyone knows they'll need it."

I blinked confusedly before shrugging it off, watching the girl's retreating form. Suddenly, I felt arms squeeze the life out of me and pick me up, twirling me around once before setting me back on my feet.

"That was amazing, I can't believe you actually beat her!" Eren exclaimed, his expression full of wonder and amazement. I blushed, crossing my arms and shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"I-It was nothing, really…" I muttered, looking at the ground like it was the most interesting sight that I've ever seen.

"Didn't expect anything less from you, sis," Rico's eyes twinkled, and he reached a hand out to pat me on the shoulder. I grinned at him knowingly.

"Thanks to you, I've learned everything that I needed to know."

He smirked, waving one hand dismissively. "It was based on your own skills and you know it."

"But still though, you really gotta teach me some moves!" Eren begged, shaking me by the shoulders. My eyes widened innocently. "I know that it's not really important, but I could learn a lot from you!"

I was a bit surprised, to say in the least; Eren was the kind of boy that wanted to be independent. Even though his family and friends want to protect him and hold him back, he really wants to stand on his own two feet. I felt warm at his bravery.

"Alright, when there's time, I promise I'll teach you."

His eyes brightened like a child's, and it was too cute that I couldn't help but giggle. He quickly schooled his expression, turning quickly on his heel. "I'm going to wash up!" He all but shouted, quickly skittering away.

I laughed. '_I was right. He really does have the most motivation.'_

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'_If they talk about the Military Police even more than this, I think I just might snap.'_

Jean and Marco were down the table from us, talking about just how amazing the MP was. It was like they worshipped them or something, and it made me sick. I could tell Eren was thinking the same thing as he glared at the two.

"The Military Police only recruit the best of the best, so I don't have time to slack off," Jean goaded, casting a quick glance towards Mikasa and I before looking back at Marco. I raised a delicate brow. '_Does he like Mikasa and I?'_

"Man, that would be amazing. Working so close to the King, what an honor that would be!" Marco said dreamily, and I coughed on my drink in disgust. Jean smacked the bottom of his cup into his face, making Marco cough and spilling his drink on him.

"Shut up, Marco." He scolded, glaring at his companion. "We're not children, you can say how you really feel around me. Honor doesn't have any damn part of it." His expression grew dark, greedy.

"You just want a nice, cozy life behind the interior playing glorified sentry, don't you?"

"T-That's not true!" Marco denied. "That's not me at all."

"Tch. Listen to you guys." Eren interrupted, causing them to look at him from down the table. I listened in as well, interested in what would happen next.

"Interior? Five years ago, this place was part of it."

He had a point. This place was just as safe as the interior until Wall Maria was breached. Now, not so much.

"You got something to say?" Jean snapped, glaring harshly. "I'm right here, you know!"

"Poor Jean, so misguided. And besides," Eren opened his eyes, a taunting glint shining in their viridian depths. "I don't think your head would fit in the interior, anyways."

"Eren!" I scolded him, but he ignored me. My brother, who was beside me, grabbed my arm, signaling for me to stay out of it. I shook it off, glaring at him and shaking my head.

Jean's eye visibly twitched, and the people around him began to snicker. "Very funny."

"Seems a little backwards to me," Eren kept at it. "Fine tuning your Titan-killing skills so they'll stick you somewhere where you'll never see one-"

"You'd rather I was good at getting killed? Thank you, but I'll pass. Better to play the system then get gnawed off."

Eren let out a growl, quickly getting up out of his seat. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

"Bring it on, you little bastard!"

I flicked my gaze towards Mikasa, signaling for her to help me. Within seconds, we were in front of the two, taking their hands off of each other. I gently lowered Jeans hand, hoping that my touch would calm him down at least a little bit.

"That's enough, both of you," Mikasa said, holding Eren's hand a bit longer than necessary before letting go. Sadly, it didn't help them one bit. Both of them latched onto each other's collars, yelling at the top of their lungs.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUDGE ME?!"

"YOU RIP MY SHIRT, AND YOU'RE DEAD!"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN, YOU PISS ME OFF!"

"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

I had half a right mind to knock both of them out, but I knew that Eren was only trying to teach Jean a bit of a lesson. The Military Police were just a bunch of Pansies; and Jean needed to see that. I stepped back a bit, watching as realization came over Eren's features.

Regret flashed over his eyes before he took Jean's arm, pushing him by the neck and kicking out his legs from under him. My eyes widened. '_He's using Annie's move from when she beat him earlier. Can't say I'm surprised, the boy did learn something after all.'_

The brunette hit the floor with a '_bang'_, cursing loudly before rubbing the back of his head and sitting up. "What the hell was that move?!"

"A little something I picked up in training while you were busy with your thumb up your ass." Eren replied haughtily, and I stifled a giggle behind my hand. Nasty, but funny.

"You honestly believe the Military Police are going to take you to the good life? Che, you're not a soldier. You're a joke."

'_Oh shit. He just went there.'_

"1-0 Eren," I joked under my breath, earning a couple of muffled laughs from other recruits.

It was completely quiet for the next couple of seconds, then we heard the door to the dining hall open, a shadowed, angry face on the other end.

"Is there a problem? What's the hell is all of the noise about?" Instructor Shadis asked, nearly scaring everyone shitless. We quickly sat down back at our tables, the silence still eating everything up.

"Sasha passed gas." Mikasa bluffed, and said girl gasped in embarrassment. I snorted, covering my mouth with my hands as everyone did. The instructor agreed.

"Why am I not surprised?" he asked mostly himself. "For the love of God, learn some self-control." And with that, he shut the door.

After that, the room broke out in laughter, mine no doubt being one of the loudest.

"Bahahaha! Oh, that was too damn good, Mikasa! You deserve an award for best comedian!" I slapped her on the back repeatedly, but her expression didn't change despite the action. Sasha began to pester her about it, but Mikasa just shoved her bread in her mouth, and all was forgiven.

'_So these are the people I'm going to be working with, huh?' _I thought to myself before smiling.

'_Sounds pretty damn good to me.'_

**0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0**

Of the original recruits, 218 had graduated, and some even passed with honors. That left room for the top 10, and with the final results, I was pleased.

"_Do you have hearts?!"_

"_Sir, yes sir!"_

"_As of this moment, you have three options open to you. Choose wisely! The Garrison Regiment, whose job is to reinforce the walls. The Scout Regiment, whose job is to venture outside the walls into Titan country to take back what was once ours. And the MP Regiment, whose job is to keep order under His Majesty. Those cadets eligible for the MP have already been named. The rest of you, take a look. These are the top of your class!"_

The ten of us that were standing in the very front stood proudly saluting, our expressions firm and absolute. I let a grin slip through, though.

'_I'm so happy that we've made it. Those Titans better be ready, because we're going to give them hell!'_

_Top Ten:_

_10\. Sasha Blouse_

_9\. Connie Springer_

_8\. Marco Bott_

_7\. Jean Kirstein_

_6\. Eren Yeager_

_5\. Annie Leonhart_

_4\. Bertolt Hoover_

_3\. Reiner Braun _

_1\. Sousa Conners_

_1\. Mikasa Ackerman_

Later that night, we stood in the dining hall in a group, celebrating our success as the top 10. I was surprised as hell that me and Mikasa were tied for first place, but it wasn't my decision, it was the instructors.

"Just how are they going to decide to pick who to put in first place?" I asked our group, and said girl answered my question.

"They're probably going to have us fight, or test us again," Mikasa added. I nodded in agreement.

"Yea, but it doesn't matter anyways. I'm going to the Scout Regiment, no matter what." I said firmly.

"Same, that was what I was going to do in the first place, anyways," Eren clenched his cup tighter, bringing it to his lips.

"Hold on," a recruit named Thomas interrupted. "Why don't you take this chance to join the military police? This is your chance to get away from the Titans!"

"I don't want a half-assed life, that's why," Eren retorted, and I nodded as well to show my agreement. "Not with all the work I've put in. I trained to fight Titans."

"Same. A pansy life doesn't suit people like us. We came here to get stronger, and then to get revenge. What good would it do to throw that away?" I looked at my brother, who sat a couple tables away talking to Sasha and Connie. I vaguely remembered my mother, and I closed my eyes to make the slight pain I felt go away.

"Are you insane?!" Thomas shouted, earning a couple of glances in our direction. He quieted down, his expression sheepish. "How many people have died? We're talking a fifth of the population! If that doesn't paint a picture for you, I don't know what will." He gestured to the area around us.

"This is our life now. We can't beat them." he finished, lowering his head in sorrow.

I felt myself glaring at him. Not because I was mad at _him _exactly, just mad at the fact that he was willing to give up so easily. It made my blood boil to see someone so gentle hurting that badly, and I knew that pain as well.

"Yeah? So what." Eren's voice was hushed, and I turned my gaze to him. "Things have changed. Not by a lot, but they changed nonetheless. We still have a long way to go, but we've made progress. Every battle we've lost taught us a lesson. It gave us the tiniest of incentive to something akin to hope, and you're telling me that it's better to cut our losses and let all the death and destruction be meaningless?!"

I put a hand on his arm, causing him to flinch. He turned his glare on me, but when he saw the understanding in my eyes, he calmed down remarkably before continuing, taking a deep breath. "Humanity's future lives outside the walls, and I'm going to clear the way! I'm going to take back what was once ours; I'll drive them out. And if at least one of us can say that, then _we're. Not. Done."_

He put emphasis on those last words, and I couldn't help but feel admiration for Eren. I never knew how far his mind went when it came to Titans, but it was obvious that he thought of this a lot. It was both a blessing, and a curse.

I saw the faintest glimmer of tears on the edge of his waterline, and before they could spill, he ran to the exit, not once looking back. I decided to follow him, fearing for his mental health, and his companions behind me followed suit.

He sat on the steps of the hall, his back turned to us. His rigid posture was easily visible, and you could tell that he was crying. When he heard our footsteps, he quickly wiped them away.

Sighing, I sat next to the weeping male, gently rubbing his back in comfort. I had seen a new side of Eren today; and I wouldn't take that for granted. He was a close friend of mine now and I'd do anything I could to help him achieve his goals, just like Armin and Mikasa intended to.

"That was quite a speech you gave there," Armin said gently, sitting down on the steps in front of us and turning to look. Eren laughed sheepishly, his eyes red from crying.

"Yeah, it was mostly yours, though."

"Yeah, well, I'm joining the Scout Regiment, too!"

"Don't be stupid, Armin!" Eren disagreed. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"It doesn't matter to me what anyone thinks anymore." Armin's eyes glinted dangerously. "I'm through with letting other people fight for me."

Eren looked taken aback before looking down dejectedly.

"I'm going to join the Scout Regiment, too." Mikasa decided, walking up closer to Eren. He flinched before slamming a fist on the ground, turning his head to her and causing me to remove my hand off of his back. "Oh, come on! You and Sousa are at the top of the class! You're wasting your shot!"

"I promised your mom that I would have your back no matter what, so just deal with it." She retorted, and her word was final. Eren let out a grunt before turning back forward, placing a hand on his head.

"Yeah, well, mom's not here," he mumbled, and that did it. I whacked him on the back of the head, causing him to cry out. Armin and Mikasa looked at me confusedly.

"You're an idiot, you know that?!" I yelled at him. He looked genuinely surprised at what I just did. I felt tears prickle my eyes, and I angrily wiped them away with my sleeve. I stood over him, glaring down into his teal-green orbs.

"A lot of people that we care about aren't here, either. We're joining the Scout Regiment so that we can still be with the friends that we've made over the years in the trainees squad. What makes you think we'd want to leave you to fend for yourself?"

"Sousa…" Eren looked guilty, reaching out a comforting hand. I slapped it away, refusing to succumb.

"Listen, Eren. These people care about you, more than you even know. Your influence over us is potent, and you give everyone a solid reason as to why we should fight for our lives instead of hide away behind a wall. I've always adored that trait about you; don't get me wrong. But you don't always have to rely on yourself! You can rely on your friends once in a while!"

"Five years ago, at Shiganshina; our hometown, my mother was killed by a Titan as well. Rico and I barely escaped with our lives, and I was given these nasty scars as a reminder," pushing down the nervousness I felt, I lifted up my shirt, showing the bite marks that haunted me daily. "of what happened that day. I decided that no matter what, I'd train to be a Scout and kill as many Titans as I could, remember?"

My eyes softened the slightest bit as tears still ran down my cheeks, and I leaned down, taking Eren's baby-like face into my hands to stare into his eyes. "I heard the same thing come from you, and your resolve was clear. You were going to kill them, too. Kill them so that one day, we'd all be free. You've inspired all of us, including me. But Eren, you're just one person. No matter what way you look at it, one person can't defeat _every _Titan there is on their own. How do you think we accomplish things and move forward? Never alone, always together. Please, let your friends help. Don't turn us away."

I kissed his forehead in a friendly manner, causing the boy to blush profusely. I could feel both Armin's and Mikasa's (albeit jealous) stares on the back of my head as I began to leave, going back inside the dining hall to find Rico.

One things for sure, I was definitely tired as hell. Might as well go find a super-comfy brother to lean on and sleep. God knows that I'll need it for what was to come.

**0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0**

**This chapter was more like a two-in-one deal kind of thing, I mean gosh, do you see the length?**

**Finished time: 2:38 pm. And still writing the next one! I feel like I'll be writing more and more chapters each week, and when summer comes, I should be finished. I plan on writing at least 30-50 chapters, and with a sequel.**

**Stay tuned, and thanks!**

**~M**


	4. Under Attack, Once Again

**A/N: Nothing much to say, maybe I will have something later. Other than I'm surprised that I updated 4 chapters in one week, I have nothing. Carry on ^^**

**Oh wait. Forgot to mention, Levi makes an appearance in this chapter. Yayy :D I will also be starting the battle of Trost Arc, which is more than likely to be a couple of chapters long. Maybe, maybe not depending on how much I write.**

**Heh, maybe I did have a lot to say *o***

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

**(No One's P.O.V)**

"Heads up, here comes Commander Erwin!"

"Don't forget to give those ugly bastards a thrashing!"

Sousa was walking the opposite way of the Scout Regiment as she passed by them with Rico, observing them carefully. She remembered seeing the blonde-haired commander quite a few times before in her childhood, but never this close.

"The citizens are really pumped this morning, aren't they?" Rico noted, also watching them as the scouts passed by on their horses. He was a bit nervous that he was about to pick them, but quickly ignored it. He hadn't been in the top 10 like his sister was, so even if he wanted to join the Military Police, he couldn't now. He had no other choice.

'_Forget it. What kind of brother would I be if I left Sousa to fend for herself?' _he thought bitterly to himself, shaking his head.

"They trying to cheer on the scouts. Even if it's all for nothing, though." Sousa commented monotonously, amethyst eyes still running over the crowd of people. She knew that the citizens would just complain about their taxes when they returned from their expedition; nearly thirty-percent of the soldiers would die, and they had a hard time keeping that death rate down.

'_None of their deaths will be in vain, though. Each expedition they go on, they learn something new. I'm sure of it.'_

"Look, it's Captain Levi! They say he's a one-man army!"

'_Huh?'_

Her eyes suddenly connected with slate-grey ones, making the man turn his head a bit towards her as he continued on his horse. Both of their eyes widened a fraction as they continued to peer at each other, like they were passing by in slow motion.

The Corporal had never seen someone with an eye color like that before, and though his expression didn't show it, curiosity was evident in his eyes. He began to study her without even realizing it; he admitted, she was different from most girls that he had seen.

He could obviously tell she was younger than him; maybe by five or six years. Her doe-like eyes had shone purple at him, but he could tell that they were also mixed with a slight blue color, heightening his interest. Her hair was a golden-blonde color that let off a soft glow as the sun hit it, making her easy to find in the crowd of civilians. Her lips parted a bit, the bottom fuller than the top and were a rosy color, the same as her cheeks-

'_Is she blushing?'_

He couldn't really tell because of how far the distance was between them, but he thought he saw them heat up under his gaze. He met her glossy stare again before he saw her eyes widen, her cheeks getting redder as she turned her back on him, running out of view. He saw that on her back was the trainee's emblem, telling him that he just might see her again.

He finally realized that he was looking that way for too long, turning his head back to look forward again at schooling his expression.

'_Just what the hell am I doing? I have no time to think of some shitty-brat.'_

When he felt eyes on him, he just had to look around to see who was staring at him. He had no idea that someone like her was looking. Sure, he was Humanity's Strongest Soldier, but he really didn't find himself that interesting to look at. He had never felt his heart thump the way it did when he set his gaze on her.

'_Whatever. It's not like I'll see her again, anyways. That would do me some damn good.'_

"Leviii!~ Who were you looking at just now?!"

Levi growled to himself as he heard Hanji's annoying voice question him, breaking him out of his stupor. He instantly regretted riding so close to the female squad leader.

"None of your damn business, shitty-glasses," he dismissed her harshly, trying to ignore the sound of her voice, which irritated him to no end. "Worry about your stupid Titan friends instead of me."

Hanji whined, a small pout forming on her lips. "Aw, you're so mean, shorty!"

That he was.

And he couldn't care less about it, either.

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

**(Sousa's P.O.V)**

"Hold on a second, Sousa! We just left Eren and them behind!" Rico called after me, but I paid no attention to him.

'_So, that was Humanity's Strongest Soldier…'_

I remembered his heated gaze, and my heart started to beat even faster than I thought possible. His face had left no trace of an emotion; but his eyes had. In those slate-grey depths, there had been an emotion that I could point out rather easily, and that was interest.

He was actually quite handsome, and I couldn't help but blush when we had studied each other. Call me easily flustered, but I couldn't help it. It was like he was boring a hole into me.

I had been so embarrassed from his staring that I had turned tail and ran away. It was strange; people usually stared at me all of the time, but I had never felt so…_exposed _before. Actually, I had many admires back in Shiganshina, but I never really cared to date any of them. They were so impulsive, it was disgusting.

I couldn't remember his name or anything, but I knew that he was of high rank, close to Commander Erwin. A Corporal, I think.

'_I'm sure I'll see him in the Corps soon…' _I thought a bit nervously. Seeing him again would definitely make me blush redder than a damn apple.

"Damnit, Sousa, listen to me!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned back to my brother, finally giving him the attention that he needed. He was leaning over, panting and holding onto his knees. I must have ran more than I thought.

"What?"

"Why did you start running for your life all of a sudden?" he asked, spitting out the words at me. I instantly remembered why I had in the first place again, and a small blush crept up my neck.

"I-It was nothing, I thought I saw something really cool over here is all." I waved him off. "Anyways, we have work to do. Let's go!"

I grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back in the direction of Trost's wall. He squirmed, trying to get out of my vice-like grip.

"H-Hold on a sec! You're going to rip my shirt!"

I ignored him, trying to clear my thoughts of the grey-eyed Corporal.

'_Damn man is going to be the death of me, and I don't even know him. Wonderful.'_

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

We were working on top of the outer Wall Rose when Eren had sidled up to me, tapping my shoulder briefly. I turned to him, giving him a blank look.

"U-Um…Sousa," he began. I raised an eyebrow at his nervousness. He straightened a bit, his teal eyes holding determination that I was well aware of. "I'm sorry about the other night, y'know…when I told you, Mikasa and Armin to not follow me to the Recon Corps."

He laid a hand on my shoulder gently. "I was trying to ignore your feelings because I thought I could take on the Titans alone, and for that I'm sorry. I understand if you're still pissed at me for what I said."

I was a bit stunned that he actually apologized, it must have been hard for him because of his pride. I smiled, grabbing the hand on my shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "You're mistaken. I wasn't mad at you to begin with."

He blinked confusedly. "Huh?"

"I was mad at the fact that you were so willing to throw your life away while defeating Titans. You ignored the help that your friends wanted to give you, even when they put their full trust in you. That's something that you're going to have to accept; everyone's trust, that is."

I let go of his hand and he scratched his ear bashfully. "Yeah, I know that's a flaw of mine. I'll do my best to accept everyone's feelings instead of pushing them away for now on."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Good that you finally think that way," Connie inputted. "Because I'm going to join the Scouts, too."

"What?" Eren gasped, picking up a large bar and carrying over to the cannon his shaved-headed friend was fixing. "What the hell do you mean, you're joining the Scouts?! I thought you were going to join the MP, that was your whole thing!"

"Yeah well, don't worry about it. A guy's allowed to change his mind, isn't he?" Connie backfired, not turning around from his work to look at the green-eyed male.

"I think your speech yesterday lit a fire in him," Mina said, walking to stand beside him.

"Nobody's talking to you," Connie growled at her and turned to look at her, a slight blush staining his cheeks. "His temper-tantrum had nothing to do with it!" he turned back to the cannon.

"Take it easy, you two," Thomas scolded them. He scratched the side of his face. "He's not the only one."

"What?" Eren's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Can you guy's keep a secret?" Sasha whispered, interrupting the conversation while taking out a roll of meat. "Because I seriously just helped myself to the officer's pantry!"

I felt a chill run down my back and everyone recoiled in fear.

"Are you insane?!" I shouted at her, making her flinch a bit. "They could kill you for stealing that!"

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?!" Eren added. The pony-tailed girl just drooled, a dreamy blush on her cheeks.

"It's okay, I was totally willing to share!"

I face-palmed. '_Damn girl's a nutjob.'_

"Could you imagine the sandwiches?!" she went on, panting like a dog who had just found a meaty bone.

"You idiot! Go put it back!"

"Yeah! Do you have any idea how rare meat has been since the Titans took wall Maria?!"

"A little bit, yeah," she kneeled, taking the meat back out of her jacket for all to see. "But look at it this way; pretty soon, we'll take back all of the room we need for livestock."

A lengthy pause went through everyone, and I sighed to myself. '_She does have a point,' _I mused.

"Alright, I'll take some then," I grinned, putting my hands on my hips. I leaned down next to her, but only squatted about halfway since the 3DMG gear had made it harder to move. "Might as well since you already have it."

"Save me a slice, please!"

"Hey, if he gets one, then so do I!"

"Me too!"

"Alright, don't just stand there," Thomas finished, moving back to his working spot. "If they see us slacking off, then we're in for it."

"See you guy's at lunchtime!" Mina waved, heading back to her area as well. I smiled at the scene.

'_Everyone's working together. Who knows? With our courage, maybe we'll take back Shiganshina faster than we thought. We're so close.'_

I was wiping off one of the cannons when I turned and looked at Eren. He was looking down at Trost, a proud smile on his face. He was no doubt thinking the same thing. I had to smile, too.

'_I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to finish this war with a victory.'_

_**BOOM**_

Steam erupted from the Titan side of the wall when a lightning strike went off behind it, making everyone turn their attention to it. My eyes widened in horror.

'_Oh God, no….'_

"EREN!" I screamed at the teen, who whipped around to see the face of the Colossal Titan staring right back at him. Before he could let out a yell, the skinless monster had kicked the wall, sending all of us over it with the impact.

I couldn't see anything through all of the dust and steam, and I had trouble reaching for my gear. I finally decided to just risk it, and I aimed upwards, feeling the familiar stop of the grapples as it held my weight. I stuck myself onto the wall, looking around for my comrades. It was finally clear enough to see again.

"SAMUEL!" I heard Connie yell on the left of me, and I watched in horror as said person had lost consciousness, falling to his death. Before anyone could react, Sasha had unhooked herself from the wall, flinging towards the unconscious male.

"Sasha, wait!" Mina cried, but the hunger-frenzied girl had already made her decent. She ran down the wall with impressive speed, shooting her grapple and catching Samuel around his ankle while also attaching herself back to the wall.

I let out a relieved breath as she called to him, "Just hold on, try not to move!"

Looking to the right of me, I felt even more relief when I saw Eren hanging there safe and sound.

'_None of us are safe, though.'_

"Shit!" I audibly cursed. "It's the same as five years ago! He kicked a damn hole in the gate!"

"They're going to get in!" Connie screeched. I paled. There was nothing I could say to them to calm them down, especially now. Titans were indeed going to get in, _again._ But not if we could help it.

Eren's expression began to turn hostile, and I knew what he was going for. He shot himself upwards, barking commands to his comrades as he went.

"This is it, people! Do or die!" he took out his blades, attaching them to his hand-grips. "Our objective is to defeat the Colossal Titan; don't let him get away!"

"Wait, Eren!" I called out to him, trying to stall him at least for a second. He just kept shooting himself upwards until he disappeared on the top of the wall.

"Damnit!" I seethed, following after him with intense speed. "Let's go, guys! We can't let him do this alone!"

I remembered what happened to my mother all of those years ago, and rage swelled in my veins again. I knew that emotions would only get in the way of battle, but not mine. They were what made me stronger; what spurred me on to succeed.

'_He's not the only one who's going to get a piece. I'm going tear that Titan to shreds!'_

I attached my blades while landing on the top of the wall to see Eren already attacking the Colossal Titan, moving up its arm to get to the nape of its neck. I growled in frustration, attaching myself to its collar bone, swinging around the other side to its back.

"Hold on, Eren!" I snapped as he made a move to strike its neck. "It's going to take a lot more than one slash to tear through his skin!" I landed on top of the skinless head, fully aware of the giant's movements. He wouldn't try to hit me off any time soon, he had a lot more to worry about with Eren trying to slash his neck.

It was too late, though. When the teal-eyed male had nearly struck, abundant amounts of steam had begun to shoot out of its back, coating the offender with the hot gas.

"Damn, that's hot!" he complained, but made another move to strike his neck again. I felt the floor (or head) beneath me disappear, and I began to fall, panicking while trying to attach myself to Wall Rose again. Eren let out a noise as he also realized the huge Titan had disappeared yet again for the second time.

He landed next to me, his forehead covered in sweat because of the steam. We were both stunned into silence. How did the damn thing disappear out of thin air?!

"Eren, Sousa!" Thomas called from above us. "What happened?! Did you take him out?!"

"No!" Eren yelled back, anger evident in his voice. "He disappeared, just like five years ago! He's hear one moment, then gone the next!"

"It's incredible how he manages to disappear so freaking fast," I whispered in awe while training my amethyst-blue eyes towards the hole in the wall. "It must have something to do with those lightning strikes."

"I-I'm sorry, everyone…." Eren said as we both had landed back onto the top of the wall. "I let him get away."

"You should have waited for me, we could have probably taken him out together." I scolded him, slapping his arm lightly. He let out a shaky laugh, scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay, at least you tried to defeat him," Thomas replied ashamedly. "We were too scared to even move."

"Hey, enough chit-chat!" Connie snapped, glaring at the three of us. "In case you didn't know, the wall's been breached! We've gotta act now, if they start pouring in that's it!"

Suddenly, a man with the Garrison Regiment label on his back landed on the wall using his 3DMG gear, alerting us from our conversation. "Look sharp! Operation Colossal Titan response is in effect, I expect you to take this seriously and report to HQ immediately!"

We all saluted in unison. "Yes, sir!"

**0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0**

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire, cadets! I expect you to put your training to good use and be useful to your Regiments!"

Everyone was scurrying back and forth in the supply room, frantically fitting their gear and filling their tanks with gas. I was refilling my tanks next to Armin, who looked to be having a little bit of trouble putting two tanks together. Eren was by his side instantly, asking what was wrong with the poor blonde.

"D-Don't worry, I-I'm fine," he lied, his hands shaking tremendously. His complexion was as pale as a ghost, and his eyes held similar fear to what I saw in their depths five years ago.

"Just give me a few seconds for my nerves to settle." He began to stall, clenching his teeth. "This is bad, isn't it? The hole in the wall is roughly 8-meters wide and we don't have the type of engineer to plug it!"

I saw Mikasa sneak up behind them, but Armin continued. "That huge boulder in the front was our best bet, but we don't know how to hoist it into place! If we don't seal the breech, the entire city is as good as dead!"

A shadow fell over my face as I listened to him, and I could feel the tiniest of tears begin to prick my eyes. As much as I didn't want to agree with him, he was right. If we didn't find a way to seal the wall in time, the entire city would be in danger of extinction and we would be forced to retreat behind Wall Sina. What were we going to do?

I felt angry at myself and I clenched my fist. I've been training for five years, but I wasn't even near ready to take on the Titans yet. My skills were enhanced compared to other cadets, but to the man-eating giants, I was still an easy target.

'_No. I refuse to think this way!'_

My whole life I have wanted to defeat the Titans, no matter what the outcome was. I have trained for so long, and to come this far and survive, I'm stronger than what I give myself credit for. With my comrades, I needed to have hope that I would be able to kill those bastards!

'_No more thinking ill of myself. It's time to fight.'_

"Get yourself together, Armin!" Eren snapped, and it was as if he had read my mind. "Listen, you're too focused on the past. Look ahead! We're not going to be the victims anymore!"

Armin's eyes lit up a bit, and he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Sorry," he whispered. "I'm okay."

Eren looked towards me, noticing how quiet I was being despite my motivation. "Sousa?"

"I'm good, too." I confirmed, giving a reassuring smile. "I'm ready to kick some ass if need be."

Later, the trainees had met up in the courtyard next to HQ. The former Commader, Kitts Woerman, had explained to us that we would be broken up into four groups. One would be for supplies, one for evacuation, one for back-up, and the other to take the middle guard.

He noted that most cadets would be in the middle guard fighting. The rearguard would go to the elites, and the innermost squadron would be taking the vanguard.

I was feeling anxious due to not having a clue where Rico was. I haven't seen him since earlier in the day when I had saw-

I blushed at the memory. '_Damnit, not now!'_

I forced the thought out of my head and proceeded to look around for Rico, spotting him closer to the front. Feeling my eyes on him, he turned around, giving me a relieved look. He probably thought I was injured when I was working the wall. I mouthed 'I'm okay' to him while turning my eyes back to the front.

"The Titans are officially in! That means, the Armored Titan is most likely to appear again! If and when he does, the inner gate will also be history! Those in the vanguard, be ready! Your mission is simple; defend the walls with your lives! The relief of your post is punishable by death! Dismissed!"

"_**Sir!**_"

When we had dispersed, everyone was in a panic. Cadets here and there were either throwing up, or praying for their lives. Some were even talking about killing themselves. It was like it was hell all over again. I began to grow sick at the thought, but shook it out just as quickly when I ran up to my older brother.

"Thank God, I thought you were dead!" Rico picked me up and hugged me tightly, nearly squishing me to death. I let him for a few moments before patting his back.

"I'm fine, but right now, we have bigger things to worry about." My gaze hardened when I met his, and I nodded. There was slight fear in his chocolate orbs, but also the same determination as years ago. He nodded back to me, confirming that this was it.

I heard yelling to the side of me and turned my head. Jean and Eren were bickering, and Eren was holding the taller boy by the collar against a pillar, yelling in his face. My eye twitched in irritation. They were picking a _really _bad time to fight.

"Oi! For God's sakes, will you two put aside the rivalry for _one minute _and shut the hell up?!" I snapped at the two, and they both gave sorry looks before turning back to each other. Eren said a few more words to Jean, and the two-tone haired male pushed him away, heading in the opposite direction while snapping orders to another male sick on the ground.

'_Those two need to be beaten by a wooden spoon. Seriously.'_

I walked over to the furious individual just as Mikasa had, but that had only made his anger worse.

"Eren, if things take a turn for the worst, I want you to come find me." She insisted. Eren looked taken aback.

"W-What? But we're in completely different squads!"

"Look, this is going to get ugly and when it does, the plan goes out the window. Come find me so I can protect you!"

He clenched his teeth in anger and snapped back. "Just who the hell do you think you are?!"

I laid a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face me. "Remember what I said the other day, Eren? She's just worried about you. Don't be upset with her."

"I don't need protection! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

I opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off when a Garrison soldier appeared. "Ackerman, Conners, you're with me. You've been assigned to the rear guard on special orders. Let's get going."

My eyes widened. Mikasa and I were being assigned to an elite post? "W-What?" I stuttered in disbelief. Truthfully, I thought I would stay with Eren and my brother in the middle guard like most cadets, but then I had remembered I was first in my class, as was the scarf-wearing girl.

"B-But sir!" Mikasa stammered. "We're cadets! We're not as skilled as the others in the rear guard!"

"We're not asking for your opinion. The line is starting to fall apart and we need as much elite soldiers as possible, cadet or not." He turned around to leave and we began to follow after him.

"Sir, with all do respect-"

"Hey!"

"Stop."

Eren had stopped Mikasa by head-butting her harshly, while Rico had grabbed my arm. I glared daggers at my older brother, my eyes glinting dangerously because he had dared to stop me.

"Get yourself together, Sousa. If you don't take orders seriously now, then how do you expect to be in the Scouts after this is over?"

I clenched my teeth in frustration, pushing his arm away. "What about you? This is the first time we've been separated like this. If something happens to you while I'm fighting in the rear guard-"

I stopped short, closing my mouth. Was this what Mikasa had felt towards Eren? This overwhelming urge to protect one's family? I felt that I finally had learned a lesson, and I nodded to Rico in understanding.

"Fine. I'll go." I muttered dejectedly, pulling him into a tight hug. He obliged, wrapping his arms around my small stature. "But promise me a few things?"

"That's a lot of promising to do." He joked. I scoffed, rolling my eyes while pulling back to look at him.

"One, you'll stay alive. Two, since you're going to be with Eren and Armin, do your best to protect them both. Mikasa would be devastated if something happened to them."

"Aren't you worried about them, too?"

I began to sputter unattractively. "O-Of course I am! I'd be heartbroken if some of my only friends were hurt, or even killed. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't be!"

He let go of me, waving his hands in reassurance. "I wouldn't, don't worry. I promise."

I smiled at him, a lone tear traveling down my face as I briskly wiped it away. "Then I'll be seeing you, big brother."

To cut off any more unneeded emotions, I turned my back on him, following the way the Garrison soldier had left off to. "Let's go, Mikasa!" I called back to the Raven haired girl, and after her pep talk with Eren, she began to follow suit.

'_Stay safe, everyone.' _I prayed silently to myself, looking on the road ahead.

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

When Mikasa and I had reached our posts in the rear guard, we were chasing an abnormal Titan that was quickly pursuing citizens that were trying to escape behind the inner gate. Its speed was frightening, considering how fast it was gaining on them.

The other elite soldiers in the squad were having immense trouble trying to catch up to it, also deciphering how they were going to kill it. I could feel the fear radiating off their forms, and I crinkled my nose.

'_Disgusting bastard thinks he's going to get a tasty meal today, huh? Not if I can help it.'_

Without hesitation, I used more gas while propelling myself towards the monster's ankles, noticing how despite how fast it was going, it had a slight falter in its step due to the dissimulation in the joints. Using that to my advantage, I shot a grapple towards its leg, raising my blades and slashing both of its heels.

The abnormal began to fall, and before it had time to regenerate, Mikasa was there slashing the nape of its neck. He landed on the ground with a loud '_thump'_, dead and not moving. I sent a thumbs up to the ravenette, grinning toothily as she landed on its head.

"Good work." I commented.

"Likewise." She nodded to me, hopping off the top of the head and landing next to me. I was almost tempted to give her a high-five, but decided against it because of the situation we were in. On the inside, I was a bit proud of myself. That was my first assisted kill as a cadet. Not bad for a couple of rookies, eh?

The townsfolk in front of us stared in utter awe at the sight, quiet gasps rippling through the large crowd. I smiled a bit sheepishly, lowering my blades to my sides.

"Excuse me, what is all this?" Mikasa asked curiously, her grey-blue eyes scanning over the citizens. A man with a bald head in front of us let out a relieved sigh, patting the overstocked wagon behind him.

"Perfect timing!" he said excitedly. "Force these useless people to push the cart forward, would you?!"

I snarled in defense of the people and my comrades. "What the hell?! Our comrades are dying back there and you want to sit here and stall everyone's safety for your own merit?! We're risking our lives for you!"

The man scoffed, placing his hands on his plump hips. "Well yeah, that's their job! Do you expect me to cry just because they're dying for the duties they signed up for? They're supposed to be willing to lay down their lives!"

He pointed an accusing finger at us. "Don't get all high and mighty just because you're finally earning your piece after all of these years!"

I was shaking in anger as I listened to this poor excuse of a human in front of me. He was heartless; trying to save himself rather than helping the ones around him escape. It was truly disgusting. I could tell that Mikasa felt the same when her eyes darkened to a shade of black, hollow and unfeeling as she stalked towards the man, pointing her blade at him and poised to strike. "I guess you're right. This is for the greater good, no?"

"S-Stay away!" he screeched at her, sending his men to take her down. They lunged for her, but she hit them on the backs of their necks will the dull side of her blades, continuing to walk towards the pig man.

"Is that all you have to say before I send you to your grave?" she asked coldly, lifting the blade and imbedding it on the side of his head, in one of the sacks. I chuckled darkly, feeling no remorse for the man. He deserved every scare he got. As long as he moved his lazy ass out of the way in the process.

With a dead glare as motivation, he ordered the wagon to be pulled out, allowing the townsfolk to file in behind the other wall through the now open gate. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding in. Thank God, now they'd be in safe hands.

A little girl and her mother had stopped to say thank you, earning a formal salute from the ravenette before she retreated back to me, her face devoid of emotion. I winced as I felt the slightest bit of rain hit my already cold cheeks.

"That was an admirable thing you did just now," I patted her on the back, earning a slight blush from her. She looked the other way in embarrassment, and I chuckled knowingly.

"It was nothing." She brushed it off, walking back towards the steaming, dead abnormal with me following. The superior soldiers had given us compliments on how well we did, saying that they were impressed. We shook our heads, telling them that we'd only do it again if we had to.

"Unfortunately, our blades were dulled during the attack, so we'll have to replace them." I said without a trace of emotion in my voice, releasing the blades and attaching new ones from the metal container.

To be honest, I didn't really have a fondness for the blades and 3DMG gear. For some weird reason, I had a feeling I'd do much better without using the heavy tools. I also wanted something with more of a curve; a slightly sharper edge, too. Maybe when this was all over, I'd do a couple of experiments and try to make a new weapon.

I narrowed my eyes, ducking my head and squinting through the rain. '_When this is all over…I wonder how the others are doing? I hope they're okay…'_

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

**(Rico's P.O.V)**

Everything was going to hell.

I watched in horror as my comrades were eaten before my very eyes, landing next to Armin on a raggedy roof. We had been so ready to defeat the Titans; making a bet on who would kill the most. But it had all gone to hell the second we had set off to defeat them.

The small blonde boy was quivering in fear while standing next to me, his eyes glazing over with the most of it. I gritted my teeth as I heard the screams of my comrades, the pain evident in the sound of them.

When Thomas was the first to get eaten by an abnormal, the formation was broken and Eren charged to kill the damn thing. Unfortunately, he was unlucky as well as he had his leg bitten off by a hiding Titan, landing on one of the roofs a couple of feet from him and landing in a heap of blood.

'_Damnit! I swore to her…'_

My sister's face popped up into my mind and I fell to my knees, the blades falling out of my grip. '_I swore to her that I'd protect them! I'm nothing but a coward!'_

I was taken aback when I heard the scream that came from the left of me, snapping my head to the side and gasping in terror. Armin was being picked up by the collar of his jacket, not resisting in the least bit in its grasp. The bearded titan had a sick smile on its face, bringing the blonde boy to its mouth while raising him higher into the air.

"ARMIN!" I panicked, picking up my blades again and shooting myself towards the giant monster. I made a fault when my grapple hooked itself onto the Titans shoulder because it momentarily stopped, plucking the cable right out of its flesh and flinging me back onto the roof, making me land with a hard thud.

My vision began to grow blurry as I was losing consciousness, silently praying that this wasn't the end. I still had so much to do with my life; so much to see. I was too young to be experiencing death. If I died now, I wouldn't be able to see my sister again or protect her.

I'd be leaving her to fend for herself, and that didn't sit well with me at all.

I felt something wet glide down the side of my face, and I couldn't tell if it was tears or blood as I watched Armin being dropped into the Titans mouth, a final scream erupting from him as he was swallowed down with a sickening gulp.

"No…" I whispered weakly, closing my eyes.

'_Sorry, sis. I failed you yet again…what kind of brother am I?'_

That was the last thing I could think of as I was swept away by the uncalming darkness.

**+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+**

**Another long chapter it seems. That was the first half of the B.O.T Arc.**

**I really wanted to finish it in one chapter, but if I did that, it would take me at least two days to finish and I want to update as quickly as possible to get the chapters to you guys. I'm a little sad that I haven't got any more followers or reviewers yet, so I'd appreciate some **

**Seriously y'all, my motivation comes from you guys. Help me out!**

**Anyways, hope you like it. I'm also looking for some beta readers to help out a bit with my writing and ideas, so if you're interested, PM me or contact me via social networks.**

**Thanks a bunch!**

**~M**


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